Investigators were informed that 18-year-old Nolan Wells had been drinking heavily with friends on Mississippi's Horn Island before he disappeared during a Fourth of July boating trip. Wells was last seen around 3 p.m. near the northwest tip of the island, and his body was found two days later, on July 6.
The official cause of Wells' death is pending, with authorities awaiting autopsy and toxicology results. While drowning is suspected, a private autopsy commissioned by his family lists the cause and manner of death as undetermined.
Wells, a student-athlete who played football for Southwest Mississippi Community College and previously for Ocean Springs High School, was reported missing by his mother, Christine Wonsley. A multi-agency search effort was launched and continued for two days before his body was discovered by a park ranger at 8:45 a.m. on Monday.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter stated that initial investigations found no evidence of foul play, but officials are diligently working to ascertain the events leading to his death. The family has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump to advocate for transparency in the investigation, a move the sheriff's office welcomes.
Several friends who were on the island with Wells told authorities that he was with an unknown woman when they departed and that he chose to remain on the island. These friends denied abandoning Wells, explaining they had to leave due to their boat taking on water.
Ocean Springs' head football coach, Jake Bramlett, expressed devastation over Wells' passing, describing him as the type of player and student every coach hopes for.
A funeral for Wells was held on July 20.
